


She's not gay (at least I don't think she is)

by THE_CHERRY_ON_TOP



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Anna is clueless, F/F, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, It has a happy ending I swear, i love her but she is just so dumb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:34:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21672310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/THE_CHERRY_ON_TOP/pseuds/THE_CHERRY_ON_TOP
Summary: Elsa and Honeymaren are dating. Anna doesn't know. Basically the story of how Anna finds out.
Relationships: Elsa/Honeymaren (Disney)
Comments: 83
Kudos: 884





	1. Chapter 1

It had been a few months since Elsa stayed behind with the Northuldra. Anna was busy keeping Arendelle running smoothly with the help of Kristoff, but as much as she loved her new job as Queen of Arendelle, she really needed a break.

She kept up relatively regular correspondence with Elsa, so she knew Elsa was happy with the Northuldra. And she was happy for Elsa because her letters consisted of stories about hunting trips with Honeymaren and how the stars looked different up there than in Arendelle, now that the fog has lifted. Everyone appreciated her powers and she was making new friends. 

Anna was a little bit jealous of her on the days where hers consisted of meeting after meeting, and she often thought about what Elsa was doing while Anna was stuck there. 

Elsa occasionally came to visit and they would do their version of family game night with Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf. Elsa would stay for dinner and game night but she would leave the next day to start her journey back. Anna was always sad when she left. Obviously she was sad when her sister left, but it was more than that. 

Elsa would bring stories about her adventures and all Anna could do is remember when she was the adventurous one and Elsa was the proper queen, not a hair out of place. And when Elsa left, Anna knew she would be back a few weeks later with more stories to tell and Anna would have a report of how Arendelle was having a good growing season or something even less exciting.

She wasn’t jealous, because being a queen meant luxury and a warm bed and a good husband and all the chocolate she could ever want, while Elsa had a tent and a fire to keep warm and no husband and no chocolate. But Anna would feel, on occasion, a longing for adventure.

That’s why she decided to take a break from queen duty, hand over control to Kristoff, and plan a surprise visit to Elsa. She ordered a wagon and horse to be brought to the gate, where she packed food, water, blankets and, of course, chocolate. Elsa probably missed the taste of chocolate, even if she didn’t like it as much as Anna did. 

It was a day and a half trip with a horse-drawn wagon, but Elsa could make it in just under a day when riding her new water horse and used the water as a shortcut. Anna had to admit she was jealous of that when the long hours on the road with nothing to do and nobody to talk to got to her.

She got to her destination eventually, though. She wasn’t sure where exactly Elsa and the Northuldra would be because they moved around from time to time, so Anna went to the last location that Elsa had mentioned in her letters. 

Anna stopped the horse and tied it to a tree because she heard people in the distance and wasn’t sure who it was. She had never heard of bandits on this road, which is why she didn’t bring any guards, but she did bring a sword just in case. Not that she knew how to use it properly, but she felt safer having it in the wagon if she needed it.

As she drew nearer to the sound, she heard it was the Northuldra, to her relief. She saw their small campfires and heard cheerful chatter. None of them looked particularly surprised to see her, and when she asked where Elsa was, one of the middle-aged women pointed towards the water. 

Anna wasn’t surprised that they camped next to a wide river because it was a water and food source, and Elsa probably did tricks with the water. Plus, Elsa’s horse was always close by. Anna walked along the edge of the water, following the river in the direction the woman pointed. She was getting pretty far from the camp and trail became increasingly jagged and tough to follow. She wondered why Elsa would be out this far. She could be on her horse or fishing. Maybe she was bathing, she thought, and immediately regretted not asking the woman what Elsa was doing.

She heard splashing up ahead and picked up the pace. A boulder that stretched from the edge of the water well into the woods blocked her view. She had to walk around it or risk getting wet, and it was already pretty cold out so she went with the former. Before she saw anything, she heard giggling and wondered who could be with Elsa. She was also glad that Elsa must not have been bathing, which saved her from possible embarrassment. 

She saw Elsa first, and recognized her only because of her hair. She and another girl, this one a brunette, were far out in the water, mostly submerged. They were too far away for Anna to be able to tell who it was or what they were doing, but she noticed they were very close to each other but she wasn’t sure if they were touching or not. 

She called out to Elsa and the girls in the in the water jumped apart and turned quickly to her. She must have startled them because they weren’t expecting anyone else here, Anna thought. She glanced down on the ground in front of her and saw Elsa’s dress and what she assumed was the other girls’ clothes. Oh, they were skinny dipping, Anna thought. That makes sense why they were startled so easily. 

She looked back to Elsa, who was swimming towards her while the other girl stayed where she was. Anna turned around to give her sister some privacy to dress. 

“I’m sorry, Elsa. I didn’t know you and your friend were skinny dipping. I just wanted to surprise you,” Anna explained, still looking into the forest as she heard Elsa putting her clothes on. Anna figured that was enough explanation and knew if she opened her mouth again, she would start rambling. 

Elsa let out a breath and Anna heard a quiet laugh from her sister. She heard water dripping and more footsteps, so the other girl was probably getting dressed, too. Elsa whispered something to the other girl but Anna couldn’t hear what it was. She was probably just asking for her help with her dress or something, Anna thought. 

“We’re dressed now, you can turn around,” Elsa said and as Anna turned, Elsa ran the short distance between them to hug her. 

Elsa was wet and cold, but Anna didn’t care because this was her sister who she hadn’t seen in over a month. When she broke the embrace, Anna looked over Elsa’s shoulder and finally recognized that the other girl was Honeymaren. Anna waved to her and she smiled in return. Honeymaren’s smile was friendly enough, but she had a strange look that might have been annoyance or guilt, or something else entirely. Anna wasn’t sure. 

It was probably because she ruined their fun, she thought. Anna felt a bit guilty for that, but soon forgot it as they made their way back to the camp.

…………………

Elsa was freaking out. Anna was on the shore. She had seen them in the water. She had seen that their clothes were on the bank. Anna knew that her sister was naked in the water, not five feet apart from another naked woman. 

She swam to the bank first because Anna was her sister and if she saw something, it probably wasn’t anything she hadn’t seen before. Elsa didn’t want to make the situation any more uncomfortable than it already was. Thankfully, Anna turned around and couldn’t see how red Elsa’s face was.

As Elsa was putting her clothes back on, she was debating what to say. She was caught. She could deny it or make up some excuse, like that Honeymaren was drowning so she went to help. But couldn’t she have used her magic if that was the case? And that didn’t explain why she was naked.

Before she could say anything, Anna gave her an easy out. Of course her naive sister would think they were skinny dipping. She couldn’t help but give a small laugh and throw Honeymaren her clothes. 

“We were skinny dipping,” Elsa whispered to her in case she didn’t hear Anna. Honeymaren gave her an exaggerated thumbs up and wink to let her know she understood, and Elsa just smiled and rolled her eyes. She could be such a dork sometimes, but that’s one of the things she loves about her.

They chatted about many things, mostly about Arendelle, on the way back to camp. Honeymaren was quiet, but that was probably because she didn’t know Anna that well, despite meeting her once before and hearing stories about her from Elsa. Or maybe she didn’t want to say the wrong thing and accidently out Elsa. 

Elsa knew it was hard for Honeymaren to keep their relationship a secret from most people, but Elsa wasn’t sure how Anna would react. There weren’t many gay people in Arendelle and she and Anna had never discussed the topic even before Elsa realized she was gay. 

Most of the young Northuldra were accepting of it, so many of Honeymaren’s friends know about their relationship, but the older people don’t, which is why they couldn’t be together in the way they wanted to be in the camp, so they ran off together most days. Elsa thought they would be safe if they were far enough from camp, but of course her headstrong little sister would hike half a mile to find her. Elsa couldn’t help but smile fondly. But inside, she couldn’t shake the fear that if Anna knew about her and Honeymaren’s relationship, she wouldn’t take it well.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the nice comments I feel really validated. I'm still not sure how many chapters there will be but I have up to chapter 4 written right now, but they aren't edited yet.

Anna ended up staying for a whole week, which was a few days longer than she expected to. She would tag along with Elsa and Honeymaren on hunting trips and even got to ride with Elsa on her water horse once. At night, Anna slept in a spare tent bundled up in the blankets she brought.

She thought she would be sharing Elsa’s tent, so she was surprised to find out that Elsa and Honeymaren shared a tent now. That’s new, she thought. Elsa never told her about that in her letters. But maybe it’s a recent change because of the cold weather, she reasoned. Honeymaren was obviously Elsa’s closest friend there so it made sense that they would share a tent. Sharing body heat would be a necessity soon, with the temperature lowering every day. That’s probably why they were so close together in the water, too, because they were sharing body heat, she thought.

If she thought about it too hard, Anna might have realized that Elsa never got cold, so sharing body heat wasn’t exactly a sound explanation. Honeymaren had other friends that she could share a tent with who actually needed to share body heat, but Anna readily accepted her explanation and didn’t think about it further. 

Every evening before bed, people broke off into groups of about half a dozen to sit around small campfires. They would sing or tell stories and enjoy each other’s company. The first night, Elsa and Honeymaren sat together, but about a foot apart. Anna didn’t understand that because they seemed so close, and were obviously close enough to see each other naked and go skinny dipping, so why did they sit leaning awkwardly away from each other? She might have thought they got into a fight, but she was with them all afternoon, so that couldn’t be it. 

It must be because they are too warm, Anna thought, even though the fire was barely enough to warm the front of her own body. Yeah, that makes sense. They are probably more accustomed to the cold so the fire is too hot to them.

The next evening, they sat a little closer together, but still lean slightly away from each other. Anna couldn’t feel a difference in the temperature, but to them it was probably a little cooler, which makes them need to share more body heat, thus why they are closer today, she reasoned. Anna was quite proud of herself for figuring it out. If she wasn’t a queen, being a detective might have suit her, she thought. 

As the week went on, Honeymaren spoke more often. Anna had initially thought she was shy, but now she was making jokes and telling embarrassing stories about Elsa.

If Honeymaren didn’t have such a magnetic personality, Anna might have been jealous because it was usually her that got to tell embarrassing stories about Elsa. But Honeymaren was funny and thoughtful and smart and Anna could see why Elsa liked her so much. Elsa liked her enough to open up to her about things Anna didn’t even know about her own sister. Elsa was clearly happy, and Anna attributed much of that to Honeymaren, so she was happy for her sister to have such a good friend. 

Anna was happy that she went on this trip. She really needed a break and now she knew she didn’t have to worry about Elsa lying about her wellbeing in her letters. There was a part of Anna that had thought Elsa might not be as happy as she claimed to be in her letters, but this trip erased all of her doubts. 

Before she left, she invited both Elsa and Honeymaren to game night in two weeks. Honeymaren gladly accepted but Elsa had a strange look wash over her.

“Are you okay?” Anna asked. She thought the look might be panic, but she wasn’t sure.

“Yeah. We’ll be there,” Elsa said quickly. 

The rest of the send off went smoothly, as did her journey back to Arendelle. She couldn’t help but be a little confused, though. Why would Elsa have that look on her face? It was just game night, like they had done so many times before.

Anna prided herself in being a good detective, but this was a mystery she couldn’t solve by the time she made it back to her kingdom.

……………………

Elsa was grateful for the week with Anna. She hadn’t seen her sister in a while and needed some quality sister time, even though most of the time Honeymaren accompanied them. Honeymaren wasn’t a third wheel, though. 

She hadn’t expected her to get along so well with her sister but she was happy that she did. She didn’t know what she would’ve done if Anna didn’t approve of Honeymaren as a friend and then she would have to break the news that she was actually more than that.

They were careful not to sit too close together or hold hands in the woods. Elsa felt bad about lying to her sister, but a part of her loved the thrill of nobody knowing the true nature of their relationship. Honeymaren’s family didn’t know about their relationship or else they would have to have a chaperone in the woods and wouldn’t be able to share a tent.

They were flying under the radar, so to speak, and were getting away with breaking the rules.

Anna never questioned them about how close they were, to Elsa’s relief. But Elsa almost blew it at the end. Sure, Anna got along great with Honeymaren, but she wasn’t expecting her to invite her to game night. 

It was a lot easier to hide the truth from Anna when she didn’t know how they normally acted, so there was no problem believing that they were skinny dipping and that wasn’t weird. But game night would be in a castle, where she knows how Elsa usually acts.

Honeymaren was excited, of course, because she hadn’t been to a castle before.

“And I want to see your baby pictures. You know pretty much everything about my family and where I grew up, but I’ve only heard stories of Arendelle,” Honeymaren told her. “And we have two weeks to prepare so you can tell me what I can and can’t say.”

Elsa knew it was true, but it didn’t make her feel much better. Honeymaren, who was curled into her side, moved up to kiss her neck. Elsa kept her eyes trained on the top of the tent, still thinking.

Honeymaren rolled on top of her so that Elsa was forced to look at her.

“It’s going to be fine. We will go to your castle and play a game and eat. I’ll sleep in a different room. I will be your friend for a night.” She started kissing down Elsa’s neck again. “I was your friend before, so I know I can be that again.”

“Yeah you’re acting really friendly when you’re straddling me and kissing my neck,” Elsa joked, but she knew Honeymaren was right. They had been friends at first and faking it for a night probably wouldn’t be that hard. She could do this.

“I’m just getting it out of my system.” Honeymaren shrugged and sat up. She sighed while Elsa laughed softly, then went back to her position at her side. 

They both knew nothing could happen here in the camp. Everyone could hear everything, so even talking about this was dangerous.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a little shorter than usual but the next chapter will be longer, I promise. With finals week starting, I don't know when the next chapter will be posted but I'll try to be quick.

Two weeks later, Elsa and Honeymaren were on Elsa’s horse, racing toward Arendelle for game night. It was almost a day’s ride if they cut across the water. 

Honeymaren had her arms clasped around Elsa’s stomach, holding tight. Elsa had never ridden to Arendelle with someone else on her horse, so she was tempted to take a reindeer and sleigh, but Honeymaren talked her out of it.

“Why would we spend a day and a half getting there only to stay a night and then return back?” she had said. Elsa had to admit she had a point. That would be two nights on the road and one night in the castle. It just wasn’t logical. 

Elsa didn’t want to stay in Arendelle for more than one night because one night would be hard enough to hide their secret relationship and she didn’t want to tempt fate. 

Honeymaren liked riding on her horse, but the longest they had ever ridden together was about two hours and this was going to be four times that. 

Usually Elsa would take this time to think. She would zone out and the next thing she knew, they were trotting up to the castle gate. But this time Elsa couldn’t do that because she was too worried about game night. 

She knew that Anna would likely pair her with Honeymaren for the games. They had to be good enough to pass as good friends but not too good. They couldn’t beat Anna and Kristoff, but couldn’t lose by a wide margin or else it would look suspicious. 

Anna would probably prepare a guest bedroom for Honeymaren, maybe even the one right down the hall from Elsa’s old bedroom, which is where she stayed when she visited. Anna would probably place them next to each other at the dinner table, which wouldn’t be weird because they were friends. 

Friends who go skinny dipping together and share a tent and spend most days with each other in the woods. God, how had Anna not figured it out yet? 

Honeymaren’s grip tightened and Elsa looked up just in time to narrowly avoid hitting a tree floating in the middle of the river. Maybe she could zone out on this ride after all. 

……………

Anna was freaking out. The cooks couldn’t get the recipe for Honeymaren’s favorite dish in time for game night. Elsa and her would arrive any minute and all they had to eat was a traditional Arendellian meal. It was enough to feed them all, but Anna wanted to do something special for Elsa’s friend. 

Kristoff sat on the couch, watching Anna pace and ramble. It took her a few minutes, and more than a few words, to realize that he was smiling. 

“What’s so funny? I’m trying to do something nice, you know. I’ve never had a Northuldra guest here, let alone one that means a lot to Elsa. Oh god, I’ve never invited the Northuldra to visit.” Her mouth twisted into a frown and she plopped down on the couch beside Kristoff. “Does that make me seem rude? I mean they let us stay with them and I never thanked them.”

“Hey it’s okay. I’m sure they wouldn’t come even if we invited them.” 

Anna glared at him. 

“I mean, uh, they like the forest so they probably wouldn’t want to come to a castle. It’s not their style.”

“So you think I made a mistake inviting Honeymaren here?” Before he could respond, she continued. “Of course it was a mistake! She probably only accepted my invitation so she didn’t seem rude. That’s why Elsa looked so weird when I asked her to come, because I made it awkward by asking her to do something she didn’t want to do.”

Of course that was it, she thought and prided herself on her detective skills. But that meant that Elsa would probably be alone when she arrived in a few minutes. 

A guard opened the door to let her know that her sister had arrived and Anna braced herself for the awkward conversation about why Honeymaren wasn’t with her that she was sure would come.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There isn't much material from the movie to characterize Honeymaren, so I made her how I assumed she would be. I'm sorry if it doesn't really work for y'all but I've read many fics all with different personalities for her and this is just my take on her. I hope you enjoy the chapter, though.

Elsa and Honeymaren dismounted and were led inside the gate by the guards. Her horse ran back to the water. Honeymaren’s hand found Elsa’s as they walked. Elsa knew that Honeymaren was nervous, but she pulled Honeymaren’s hand to grip her arm instead, so that they walked arm in arm. As much as she wanted to reassure Honeymaren, this was not the place for holding hands. 

Elsa could deduce that Honeymaren was nervous because of the guards. She could only imagine how they looked to someone who was used to tribe life, where mostly everyone treated each other like family. To Elsa, the guards didn’t look threatening, but that was probably because she grew up with them around. 

But the feeling of half a dozen strangers in armor walking with you into a big stone building would make most people anxious, even if they didn’t grow up in a very different culture.

Elsa could feel the tension lift from Honeymaren when Anna came to greet them and waved the guards off. Elsa thought that Anna looked almost surprised to see Honeymaren, even though she was the one that invited her. That was strange, but soon a smile appeared on Anna’s face, so Elsa didn’t know what to make of it. 

After they said their greeting, Anna said, “Elsa, I moved your stuff into a different room, but before you get mad, hear me out. Your room was the closest to me and Kristoff’s and we figured it would be the perfect place for a nursery.”

Elsa must have looked shocked because Anna quickly added, “I’m not pregnant yet, but we’re trying.”

Honeymaren smiled and put her finger up to say ‘one second’. She pulled a stick out of her bag and held it out to Anna, who took the small, irregularly shaped stick with a small and clearly confused “thank you.”

Elsa looked at Honeymaren, puzzled, and saw that she was trying to hold in laughter. She had to be up to something.

“It’s a fertility stick. Put it by your bedside and it should help you and your husband in your endeavor,” Honeymaren explained with a smile.

“Oh, I didn’t see any of these when I visited.” Anna was polite but still skeptical.

“That’s because no one was trying to get pregnant.” Honeymaren had an explanation for everything. 

Elsa turned away from them for a second to conceal her smile that was going to turn into a laugh any second. 

“I had a feeling you would need this soon because most newlyweds do,” Honeymaren went on.

Anna brought the stick closer to her heart and put a hand on Honeymaren’s shoulder.

“Thank you,” Anna said so sincerely that Elsa almost burst out laughing. 

Honeymaren nodded slowly, almost humbly, and Anna turned around, gesturing for them to follow, presumably to their sleeping quarters.

As they followed, Elsa nudged Honeymaren and gave her a questioning look. 

“I found it on the ground before we left and had a feeling it would come in handy.” She shrugged, as if that was a completely normal thing to do.

She shouldn’t be surprised by now because Honeymaren was known to be a jokester, but of course Anna wouldn’t know that after spending only a week with her. Honeymaren was kind to everyone, but her friends knew how much of a troublemaker she could be. It was always harmless little jokes to keep her entertained because life could be boring sometimes. 

Elsa couldn’t imagine that this joke was brought on by boredom, though. Not ten minutes ago she was clinging to Elsa’s arm, finding comfort in the touch while six armed men escorted them. That was hardly boring.

Anna stopped in front of a door that Elsa thought was once a guest bedroom. When she opened the door, she saw her old bed and wardrobe. In fact, all of the furniture from her old room was here. Elsa moved to the bed and laid down, reveling in the comfort. It was so much better than the forest floor that only had the thin fabric of the tent and a few blankets between her and it. 

Anna and Honeymaren stayed in the doorframe, letting her sprawl out on the bed in peace. But that peace was short lived.

“This is where you’ll be staying,” Anna said. Elsa couldn’t see who she was talking to so she lifted her head. Anna seemed to be addressing Honeymaren. But this was Elsa’s room. Why would Honeymaren be staying in Elsa’s room? Or was it a plural ‘you’, as in ‘you guys will be staying here’?

“Who?” Elsa asked.

Anna scrunched her face in confusion but repeated herself nonetheless, “You.”

But she made a gesture towards both of them.

“Me as in just me?”

“No. Honeymaren, too.”

“So just her?”

“No, both of you.”

“But there is only one bed,” Elsa said slowly, hoping her sister would get the deeper meaning of what she was saying, which was: ‘do you know about us?’

“And you share a tent like a fourth of the size of this room. I don’t see a problem.” Anna clearly still didn’t understand. But then Elsa saw the gears turning in her head. She was thinking of something, but Elsa wasn’t sure what.

She braced herself for the worst. If Anna asked if they were gay, like for each other—or just in general it didn’t really matter—what would Elsa say? She could deny it, but something inside of her said that wasn’t a good idea. If Anna was homophobic, it was better to know now than later.

So it’s settled. If Anna figures it out, Elsa won’t deny it. 

“Oh, do you guys want a break from that small tent? That makes sense, you guys are in a castle with more than enough room to have separate, well, rooms. I’m sorry now I feel dumb.” Anna turned to Honeymaren. “It’s your first time here so you probably want the full experience, right?” 

She didn’t wait for her to respond and instead opened the door to the room across the hallway from Elsa’s.

Elsa’s head dropped back down to the bed when she heard them enter the other room, which she guessed was another bedroom. She sighed. She really thought Anna had planned to put them in the same room because she found out they were together, like in a gay way—in a way in which she wasn’t sure if Anna was okay with.

……………………

Before dinner, Anna had let Elsa and Honeymaren get settled in their rooms. She figured Elsa would give Honeymaren a tour of the castle while Anna went to get Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven for dinner.

She proudly presented the fertility stick to Kristoff and explained it to him. He didn’t look convinced but Anna wasn’t as ignorant about other cultures as he was. She huffed and set it gently on her nightstand. 

“You better be nice to her at dinner,” Anna warned. “Just because she’s from a different culture does not mean the fertility stick doesn’t work.”

“Of course I’ll be nice. I wasn’t trying to be rude; it just looks like a stick you can find outside anywhere.”

“But it’s not, it’s a special stick. Its probably blessed by the nature spirits or something.”

He raised his hands in surrender and she knew she won. Anna leaned over to where he was sitting on the bed and gave him a quick kiss before going to change into a more comfortable dress for dinner.

She knew he probably wasn’t paying attention, but she spoke loud enough for him to hear her as she dressed anyways. She explained everything that happened when she went to greet them. 

“That’s not weird, right? Like do you think Honeymaren thinks I’m weird now? It was reasonable to assume they wanted to share a room, at least I think it is.”

Kristoff was giving the occasional ‘yes, honey’ throughout her story, so she figured he wasn’t actually listening. When she came back to the bed, she was surprised to see that he looked as if he was deep in thought. 

“Do you think they might be together?” he asked tentatively. 

“Of course they are together. They are friends. They hunt together and ride together. They came here together. God, Kristoff, keep up.” She was a bit amused that he could miss the bulk of her stories when she came back from her visit. 

She had told him everything, which most of it consisted of Elsa and Honeymaren and how they all did stuff together.

“No, I mean, like, together. In a relationship. More than friends.”

“What makes you think that?” Anna asked.

“They sleep in the same tent, which is kind of like sharing a room, which is what married people do.”

“No, they share a tent to share body heat. It gets quite cold up there.”

“They spend most of their days together,” Kristoff went on.

“That’s what friends do. It probably gets boring if you can’t hang out with friends in the woods.”

“But Anna, they were in the water. Naked. Friends don’t usually go swimming naked.” He sounded exasperated now, so Anna decided to promptly end the conversation. 

“They are really close friends. And maybe the Northuldra have different customs than us. You really need to be more sensitive to other cultures.”

Kristoff knew the conversation was over by the finality in her tone. That, and the fact that a guard knocked on the door to tell them that dinner was ready.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the wonderful comments. I'm glad you guys like the story.

Elsa knew the precise time that dinner would be served, which would be in about an hour and a half, if the cook was the same cook that had been employed since she was a girl.

She told Honeymaren not to bring a bag because they would get to Arendelle in less than a day and the castle had everything she would need for an overnight stay. Evidently, that didn’t stop her from bringing a small bag that contained at least one stick and who knows what else.

It didn’t take long for them to get settled in their rooms because they had nothing to unpack. After laying on the soft, warm bed for a few more minutes, Elsa went to check on Honeymaren. She walked about three feet out of her own room before knocking on the door on the other side of the hallway. 

Honeymaren opened the door and Elsa walked in, moving to sit on the side of the bed, with her feet dangling off the side. The bed was as large and soft as her own. Honeymaren closed the door and went back to looking at the paintings on the wall and inspecting the furniture, which she had never seen before. 

The Northuldra had furniture, but it was all practical. The castle was full of impractical yet elegant pieces.

“Do you think she knows? She could just be playing it off but secretly she knows, you know?” Elsa asked. Her words were quick but not frantic.

Honeymaren stood across the room, running her hand along the side of the wardrobe, tracing the designs in the wood. 

“Of course she doesn’t know. You need to stop worrying. She was embarrassed that she thought to have us share a room, that’s all.” Her hand fell away from the wood and she turned to Elsa. “Plus, if she thinks any of our behavior is weird, I can just blame it on cultural differences.”

Elsa remembered the way Honeymaren purposefully acted weird by giving Anna a stick. Maybe that was more than just a joke, maybe her girlfriend was a genius. 

Honeymaren smiled as she saw the realization dawn on Elsa. She walked over to the side of the bed where Elsa still sat with her feet hanging off the side of the bed. She kneeled between her legs to be at eye level with Elsa. From this position, their faces were within kissing distance. Elsa knew she shouldn’t kiss her here, with only a wooden door between them and everyone who couldn’t know about them. 

“We can’t,” Elsa whispered as Honeymaren started to close the distance between them. 

“Can’t what?” she asked, but Elsa knew it wasn’t a real question. A small smile played on Honeymaren’s lips. 

Elsa rolled her eyes. “You know what.”

“I know what, but they don’t have to know. If anyone sees us, we can just say it’s a Northuldra custom.”

Elsa laughed softly. “And what custom would that be exactly?”

Honeymaren leaned in to kiss her once on the lips, then pulled away. “A fertility custom, to prepare me for a husband.” Another kiss. “A ritual performed for good luck on our travels.” Another kiss. “Maybe it’s the will of the nature spirits that we must perform certain actions for some unknown reason.”

Elsa smiled. She leaned in to kiss Honeymaren properly this time and held her close as Elsa leaned back onto the bed, pulling Honeymaren on top of her. She knew it wouldn’t be as easy to explain what they were doing as Honeymaren made it seem, but Elsa wasn’t thinking straight now.

Elsa’s hands trailed down Honeymaren’s back, pulling her closer. It felt right to be doing this in the privacy of an actual bedroom on an actual bed. She wished that she could give Honeymaren this privacy that they both longed for every day. If Elsa was still the queen, she could give her privacy and comfort and anything else her heart desired. 

She could probably ask Anna and she would be glad to give her a permanent room, but Elsa didn’t want to think of her sister while making out with her girlfriend. And it wouldn’t be right. Both Elsa and Honeymaren liked being with the Northuldra. 

This was nothing more than a vacation, which was fine with her because she knew that’s what they both wanted. 

Elsa got a bit carried away with her thoughts and felt her hands get cold, which meant that ice was going to form from her fingertips any second.

Elsa sometimes lost control of her powers when she got too emotional. She quickly rolled them so that she was on top of Honeymaren and put both of her hands on the headboard.

Swirling patterns of thin ice decorated the headboard and walls, spreading all the way to the door on the other side of the room. Honeymaren looked on in awe. This happened once in a while, so it didn’t scare her. In fact, once Elsa explained that it happened because she lost control of her emotions, Honeymaren’s ego just about doubled in size.

Elsa lost control of her powers because Honeymaren was just that good, or at least that’s what Honeymaren thought. She had never lost control when they were just kissing, though, which is why it surprised Honeymaren. 

Just as Honeymaren reached up to kiss her again, there was a loud knock on the door. They sprung apart, with Elsa nearly falling backwards onto the floor.

“There’s some ice on the door. Are you okay?” The voice was deep and gruff, so it was most likely a guard. 

“We’re fine,” Elsa called, her voice squeaky.

“We’re just doing a Northuldra ritual,” Honeymaren said loud enough that he could hear it. 

Elsa clamped a hand over Honeymaren’s mouth and gave her a stern look. 

“What?” the guard asked.

“Nothing! My friend was just asking me something,” Elsa said. She could feel Honeymaren smiling beneath her hand. She didn’t let her go until she heard retreating footsteps.

Elsa stood up and adjusted her dress. “I should give you the tour before dinner.”

……………………

Anna had Kristoff go ahead to dinner while she got Olaf and Sven, who were playing some game that Olaf made up. They wouldn’t be eating dinner, of course, but they liked to sit and be included in conversation nonetheless.

Olaf and Sven were playing in the ballroom, so Anna headed there. Elsa would know when to show up to dinner; she had always been very punctual. 

Anna passed many rooms and hallways as she made her way to the ballroom. As she passed the hallway where Elsa and Honeymaren’s rooms were, she passed a guard who was patrolling that section of the castle. 

“Your Majesty, there has been an incident.” 

Anna stopped immediately. “What incident?” 

There were a thousand things that could have happened, and him seeing an incident in the part of the castle that her sister was staying in was doing nothing to soothe her anxiety. 

“I was walking past this door”—he pointed to Honeymaren’s room—”and I noticed ice on it. I knocked and asked if they were alright and they said they were, but I thought you should know.”

Anna let out a sigh of relief. If there was ice on the door, it must have been Elsa using her powers. Elsa used her powers for more than just self defense so there was a good chance that it was for fun and she wasn’t in any danger. Anna thanked the man and went on her way to go get Olaf and Sven for dinner.

A few hallways later and she was on the second floor, where a good view of the sunset was. She stopped at a window that overlooked the garden, where the sun was falling behind the trees. 

She heard laughter below and looked down in time to see a flash of white hair. What was Elsa doing in the garden? She was running—no, chasing someone.

Honeymaren, who was wearing a blue dress now, was racing down the stone path that led to a field of grass. Elsa was on her heels. Both of them were laughing as Elsa tackled her into the lush grass. 

Honeymaren was on her back, with Elsa landing on top of her. They stayed in that position, just staring at each other, for an odd amount of time, Anna thought. Whatever game of tag or some variation of it, Elsa won. So why was she just sitting there on top of Honeymaren? Maybe that was part of the game. After all, Anna only spent a week with the Northuldra, so she wasn’t an expert in all of their games. 

In the back of her mind, she thought about what Kristoff said about Elsa and Honeymaren’s relationship. But he didn’t know them like she did. She knew her sister better than anyone, so she would know if Elsa was gay, right?

Anna shrugged and continued on her way to get Olaf and Sven.

……………………………

Honeymaren had changed into a traditional Arendellian dress before dinner. Since they had some time, Elsa gave her the tour of the inside of the castle. They still had some time after that, so she took Honeymaren to the garden. 

They walked the stone path to the plants as the sun set. It might have been romantic if Elsa wasn’t looking over her shoulder every few minutes to see if people were looking at them. Not that there were many people except the guards and staff. 

Honeymaren decided she wanted to play a game, which is how a few minutes later, Elsa ended up on top of her in a field of grass. The sun was setting behind her and she knew she needed to get up, but she couldn’t make herself move.

Honeymaren was smiling as she caught her breath and all Elsa wanted to do was bring her closer and hold her forever. 

The moment was cut short when she saw movement in the castle window.

The movement was gone in a flash but she would recognize her sister anywhere. Elsa sighed in defeat and got to her feet. She helped Honeymaren up, too. 

This is going to be hard to explain, she thought.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this update taking so long. I have the rest of the story planned out so it shouldn't be long before the next update.

Elsa was sure that Anna knew about her and Honeymaren’s relationship by now. With her seeing Elsa practically straddling Honeymaren in the garden, there was just too much she had seen that was not typical friend behavior.

It still worried her that her sister might not have a good reaction to the news. It’s not like she and Anna had ever talked about that kind of stuff. Sure, they weren’t close for much of their childhood, but Anna talked about boys constantly while the subject never interested Elsa. While Anna was off trying to marry the first guy that smiled at her, Elsa had never even had a crush. That had to be suspicious. 

There was no way Anna couldn’t know from that alone. But now the first person she brought home for family game night is a woman, even if it was Anna’s idea. It’s not like there was a shortage of Northuldra bachelors to choose from, and Elsa happened to not interact with any of them when Anna went to visit her. 

If Elsa is right and Anna did find out the true nature of their relationship, what would she think? Yes, Anna likes Honeymaren, but that’s when she thinks Honeymaren is Elsa’s friend. If Anna is okay with her being gay but doesn’t approve of her dating Honeymaren, that would break her heart. But she’s getting ahead of herself; Anna might not be okay with her being gay.

And so Elsa’s thoughts went around and around, all coming back to the fear of Anna not accepting her. Her heart was racing as she and Honeymaren made their way to the dining room.

They arrived only a few minutes after Anna. When they got there, the conversation quieted. Elsa wasn’t sure what to make of that. Olaf smiled and greeted Elsa as they sat down next to each other at the only two empty chairs. 

“And this must be your friend Anna told us about,” Olaf said. It was not a strange statement, but it made Elsa nervous. Were they talking about her and Honeymaren before they arrived? Is that why they went quiet? Did Anna tell them about what she saw?

“Yes, I am Honeymaren,” she replied, smiling. Olaf then introduced himself and Sven, matching her wide smile.

“Okay now that everyone has been introduced, let’s eat,” Anna said and turned to Honeymaren. “I’m sorry that we only have traditional Arendellian food so I’m not sure how much you’ll like.”

“That’s fine. Elsa has told me about some of the food that she thinks I’ll like.” Honeymaren looked over at Elsa, who nodded. 

Anna let out a breath in what Elsa assumed was relief. Elsa was glad to find that she wasn’t the only nervous one at the table.

As they ate, Olaf asked some questions about Honeymaren and the Northuldra. They were mostly about day to day life and how it was different than Arendellian life. Some were about Honeymaren herself. Then he asked about how Elsa fit into her life with the Northuldra, worded a bit differently of course.

“Well, we spend pretty much every day together. We go out into the woods or spend the day by the water. She uses her powers to help us hunt and fish. It’s pretty great,” Honeymaren says, and smiles at Elsa before adding, “Although our beds aren’t as comfortable as yours.”

Everyone smiles at that. Elsa didn’t miss the implication that Honeymaren used a bed at the castle, though that is a perfectly normal thing to do. As far as the others know, Honeymaren tried out the bed while getting settled in her room. There was no reason to suspect that she made out with Elsa on the bed.

“Speaking of Elsa’s powers,” Anna begins, “I ran into a guard on the way here and he said there was an incident. Something about ice on Honeymaren’s door.”

Elsa froze. She almost forgot about that. She glanced over at Honeymaren, who was looking at her expectantly. So much for Honeymaren having an answer for everything. 

“Well, you see, I went to her room to help her get settled in.” Elsa paused, trying to think of an explanation. “I was showing her the art hanging on the walls and she asked if I could replicate it with my ice. I could do the easier ones, so we moved on to the more complicated pieces. The walls were covered and I didn’t notice that I got carried away. The guard saw the ice on the door and asked if we were okay.”

“You know how much she loves art,” Honeymaren added unhelpfully. Elsa doesn’t care for art and everyone at the table knows this, but Olaf and Anna nod in understanding anyways. 

Elsa can’t tell if they believe it or not. They nod like they do, but that was the worst explanation she could have possibly picked. But what else was she supposed to say? She couldn’t tell them the truth.

“So what else did you guys do before dinner? Anna tells me she saw you two in the garden,” Kristoff says, breaking the silence. There is a noise and he turns quickly to Anna, who glares at him, which could only mean that she kicked him under the table. He must have said something she didn’t want him to say. 

But why would Anna tell him about the garden? And why did she not want him to say that she told him about it? Does that mean she knows about them?

“Elsa gave me the tour of the castle and we had some extra time before dinner so she took me to the garden,” Honeymaren explained.

Elsa knew that’s not the answer Anna wants; she could see the disappointment in her face. She wanted to know why her older sister was pinning down her best friend in the garden, not why they were in the garden in general.

Honeymaren seemed content to offer no further explanation, but Elsa couldn’t just let their minds wonder; she knew what it looked like.

“Then we decided to play a game, which is what I think you saw,” said Elsa.

“What game was it? It looked interesting,” Anna said. But did she mean interesting as in ‘fun and unique’ or ‘gay’?

Elsa shrugged. “Just a Northuldra game. It’s kind of like tag.”

“Like tag but when you tag the person, you have to pin them down with your body for a certain amount of time?” Anna’s question seemed genuine, but Elsa wasn’t sure. She could see Honeymaren blush beside her and she was sure she had a matching one.

“Yeah,” Elsa said after a pause. Elsa knew that sounded even dumber than the art story.

A part of her thought that maybe everyone knew about them and they were just fucking with her because there was absolutely no way Anna was that oblivious.

God, this trip is going to be the death of her.

…………  
Anna got to dinner before Elsa and Honeymaren. She was still thinking about what she saw in the garden. She originally shrugged it off as a culture difference but she got to thinking on the long walk to the dinning room. 

When she got there, she sat next to Kristoff, who was talking to Olaf and Sven. When he saw her frown, he stopped the conversation to talk to her.

“I just saw Elsa and Honeymaren in the garden,” she whispered so Olaf wouldn’t hear. “And Elsa was on top of her.”

“What do you mean ‘on top of her?’”

“I mean Honeymaren was on her back and—” Anna cut off when she saw them walk into the room. Olaf went quiet, too, which made it a bit awkward. 

Anna wasn’t sure why she felt the need to tell Kristoff that anyways; she knew that he would just use that as more proof that they are a couple. Yes, it was strange, but it wasn’t too strange. It may not be strange to the Northuldra. Maybe Elsa living with them changed her outlook on social norms. After all, she had been acting a bit strange since Anna’s trip to visit her.

Anna knows her sister and while Elsa may not have had a boy crazy phase, that doesn’t mean Elsa is gay. Elsa would have told her. And there would have been signs. There would have been signs like her swimming naked with another woman, sleeping in the same tent every night with another woman, or straddling another woman in a garden. Admittedly, Elsa has done all of those but that doesn’t mean she is gay.

Kristoff may think so but Anna isn’t sure. Friends do that kind of stuff sometimes.

Maybe Elsa’s answer to the ice on the door situation was a little weird, but that isn’t proof that she’s gay. Maybe Elsa’s answer to the garden was a little weird, but that doesn’t mean she’s gay. 

Not that Anna would have a problem with it if she were gay, she just doesn’t think Elsa is. Isn’t it rude to speculate about someone’s sexuality, anyways? She could just ask her. It is her sister, after all. They should be comfortable enough to discuss such things.

But what if she’s wrong and Elsa is straight? Would that make her uncomfortable with Honeymaren if she asked about them? She doesn’t want to make Elsa uncomfortable.

Elsa will tell her when she is ready, if she really is gay.

That settles it, Anna thought, I will wait and see if she says anything about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know if you like it so far.


	7. Chapter 7

The dinner lasted a little over an hour. Thankfully, Anna and Kristoff didn’t press about the ridiculous stories Elsa made up. The conversation changed to less anxiety-inducing subjects and died out around the time they finished dessert.

Anna suggested that they all get changed into more comfortable clothes before starting the games for game night and Elsa agreed. While they didn’t do that every game night, it wasn’t an odd thing to suggest. Besides, it looked like Anna wanted to have a talk with Kristoff after his comment at dinner and Elsa wanted to have a similar conversation with Honeymaren.

Anna and Kristoff went off together, presumably to go change in their room, and Olaf and Sven went to continue whatever they were doing before dinner. Elsa led Honeymaren back to their rooms because even after a tour of the place, Honeymaren still couldn’t navigate on her own.

As they neared the rooms, Elsa said, “We should get changed and then talk about what you did at dinner.”

“What did I do?” Honeymaren asked, feigning innocence. 

“You know what you did,” Elsa answered, unamused.

Honeymaren raised her eyebrows in question. 

Elsa looked behind them to make sure nobody was close enough to hear them.

“You threw me under the bus. You made me make up a story for the ice on the door. What happened to your excuse of cultural differences or Northuldra customs or whatever?” Elsa whispered.

“You could have used that excuse,” Honeymaren pointed out with an amused smile. “And you handled it fine on your own.”

“No thanks to you. What was that ‘you know how much she loves art’ comment? They all know that’s a lie so now they probably think my art story was a lie, too.”

Honeymaren’s smile fell away. She grabbed both of Elsa’s hands in her own and squeezed them, reassuring her. 

“No, they don’t. They could think that’s an inside joke or something. You’re overthinking this. You being nervous is the quickest way to out us, so just calm down and act natural.”  
Elsa squeezed her hands back and Honeymaren’s smile returned.

“Now, let’s go get changed and beat those losers at charades,” Honeymaren said.

………

“Sven! Sven!” Olaf called as he wandered the hallways. He and Sven were playing a game of hide and seek while everyone else went to change. But Sven was nowhere to be found and Olaf took to the halls, asking any guards or staff he came across if they saw Sven go by.

For the first time since moving to the castle, he noticed the art on the walls.

“Elsa was right. This art is good,” he said to himself.

He bounced from painting to painting, his game with Sven forgotten. He traveled that way—following the trail of paintings and sculptures to wherever the next one led—until he found himself on the other side of the castle.

He wouldn’t have noticed where he was if not for the whispering he heard in a hallway not too far away. He couldn’t see who was speaking, but they sounded stern.

It led him to the end a long hallway that had two familiar faces within sight, but not close enough to hear the conversation. Elsa was holding both of Honeymaren’s hands, or maybe Honeymaren was holding Elsa’s hands. Either way, they were both leaning in close.

He was about to call out to ask them if they had seen Sven when they abruptly let go of each other’s hands and went into their respective rooms. Or at least what he thought must be their respective rooms because that would be silly for them to go into random rooms.

He laughed at that thought.

Then something occurred to him. Why were they holding hands? It wasn’t like how Anna and Kristoff sometimes held hands as they walked because the girls weren’t walking. Anna and Kristoff sometimes held hands when sitting next to each other, though, which was kind of similar to how Elsa and Honeymaren looked. 

Olaf had never seen people who weren’t in love holding hands.

He gasped. “They’re in love! Oh my god, they’re in love!” Another gasp. “And Anna and Kristoff don’t know! I gotta tell them!”

…………

Anna and Kristoff went to their room to change for game night. Anna considered dinner a mild success; Honeymaren seemed to like the food but part of the conversation got weird.

“Why did you have to bring up the garden?” Anna asked barely a second after the door closed.

Kristoff shrugged. “There was a silence, so I filled it.” He opened his wardrobe and started looking through his clothes. “And I think you should reconsider the idea that your sister didn’t bring just a friend to dinner.”

“First of all, I invited Honeymaren. Second, you could have filled the silence some other way. You made me seem like a creep. It’s not like I stalked them and reported their activities to you,” Anna said.

“Except that’s exactly what you did.” Kristoff laughed as Anna threw a pillow at him. “And I’m kind of glad I brought it up.”

Anna scowled at him.

“Now, just hear me out. You heard how weird Elsa’s ice-on-the-door-because-she-loves-art story was, right?”

“Elsa doesn’t even like art,” Anna agreed.

“And you saw the way Honeymaren looked when she said Elsa loves art? She looked a little smug and Elsa looked like she wanted to die.”

“Elsa definitely didn’t want to be there.”

“When I brought up the garden thing, Elsa got even more flustered. That means they must be lying, which proves that they were doing something they didn’t want us to know about when the ice on the door happened and in the garden. And I think they were lying to cover up the fact that they are dating.” Kristoff, now dressed, turned to Anna.

“Elsa was nervous; that doesn’t prove anything. The ice-on-the-door story was probably a lie, but it’s a stretch to connect it to the garden incident. Maybe Elsa doesn’t want us to think the Northuldra are weird and play weird games. Anyways, proof that she lied doesn’t mean we know what she lied about. It could be some Northuldra thing; it doesn’t mean they’re dating.”

Just as Anna stopped talking, Olaf burst into the room.

“Hey, someone could have been nak—” Kristoff started.

“They’re in love!” Olaf skipped around the room. “Isn’t it wonderful? They found love!”

Anna looked to Kristoff, who was just as confused as her.

“Who?” Anna asked.

“Elsa and Honeymaren, silly. I know you told me they are friends but I just know they’re in love.”

“How do you know?” Anna asked. There was no was Elsa told him before she told her own sister. 

“They were holding hands in the hallway,” Olaf replied.

Kristoff turned to Anna. “I guess you aren’t the only stalker.”

Kristoff smiled as Anna glared at him. Olaf ignored the comment.

“I saw them holding hands like people in love do, so they must be in love.”

“Not everyone who holds hands is in love, Olaf,” Anna said. “Close friends sometimes do that, too. But you need to remember that Honeymaren is from a different culture and what is considered strange to us may not be to her. Since Elsa is living there now, it’s probably not strange to her, either.”

Olaf’s smile fell as Anna spoke. “But they should be in love. They held hands and were close together and I just want everyone to find love,” Olaf said, sadness creeping into his voice.

“I know, I want everyone to find love, too.” Anna’s voice was soft. “But when people are in love, they usually tell others about it. Sometimes they aren’t comfortable, though, so you shouldn’t pry. Just wait and if people are really in love, you will know eventually.”

“Like how Kristoff loved you but didn’t tell you until he was ready?” Olaf asked.

“Exactly like that. People need time to feel things before sharing it with the world. Some need more time than others. This situation with Elsa is delicate and if you really want her to find love, you can’t ask her about it,” Anna said, looking for any indication that Olaf understood. “Please tell me you get what I’m saying.”

“I understand. I won’t ask her about how she’s in love with Honeymaren.”

It wasn’t the exact answer she wanted, but Anna figured that was the best she could get out of him. 

“We need to get going soon,” Kristoff said and looked around the room. “Where is Sven?”

……

Elsa and Honeymaren got changed quickly. The plan was to meet everyone for game night after having thirty minutes to change. They needed thirty minutes because the castle was giant and it took more than a few minutes just to get to their rooms. 

Elsa, being the one who kept a tight schedule for years knew exactly how much time they had before they needed to leave. She knocked on Honeymaren’s door.

Honeymaren, already changed, opened the door and gestured for her to go in.

“Feeling better?” Honeymaren asked.

“A lot better, actually. Thanks for the mini pep talk.” Elsa plopped down on the bed, making herself comfortable.

“Anytime.” Honeymaren smiled and followed her.

They got situated on the bed, both laying on their backs and looking at the ceiling. They were quiet for a time, just breathing and thinking.

“Do you think one day you would want to tell Anna?” Honeymaren asked, breaking the silence.

Elsa was glad she wasn’t facing her because the flash of fear that went through her was sure to be reflected in her expression.

“I would tell her in a heartbeat if I knew what she would say. It’s like how we only told the Northuldra people we knew would be okay with it.” Elsa paused, searching for the right words. “My sister and I are…complicated. We were close when we were younger and then we weren’t. And now that we are again, I don’t want to jeopardize it.”

“I understand. I just wish you knew how she would react.”

Elsa turned on her side to face Honeymaren and she did the same.

“I do, too.”

Honeymaren smiled. “I have to admit, I will miss it when everyone knows. You know, the thrill of sneaking around, of having a secret only we share.”

“I’m going to miss it, too.” Elsa noticed the way Honeymaren’s smile gradually turned less innocent. She knew exactly where her mind was headed and because they had a few minutes to kill, she didn’t stop her.

“Maybe we should make the most of it,” Honeymaren whispered. “You know, while we still can.”

Elsa leaned in, but stopped just before their lips touched.

“Did you lock the door?” Elsa asked.

Honeymaren nodded. “Wouldn’t want your sister to see what I’m about to do to you.”

Honeymaren rolled on top of her, placing a leg between Elsa’s. Elsa let out a sound in surprise, but soon she regained control of her body and her hands went to Honeymaren’s hips, which started a slow rocking. Honeymaren kissed her, blurring her thoughts.

In the back of her mind, Elsa knew they wouldn’t have time to finish what they were starting, but it felt too good to stop. She originally thought Honeymaren just wanted to make out some more, which they had time for, but this was different. 

Honeymaren sat up to push up Elsa’s dress, breaking the sensation and allowing Elsa to think clearly.

“We can’t,” Elsa said, panting. “We don’t have enough time. They are probably waiting for us now.”

Honeymaren sighed. “Just promise me one day we can do it on an Arendellian bed. Maybe not during this trip, but one day. It’s important to experience other cultures, you know.”

Elsa laughed softly. “I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To clarify, I know when you play hide and seek you don't call the other person's name, which is the joke because Olaf is not very smart. I forgot why I put it in there so when I was editing I got confused and I'm the one that made the joke, so I wasn't sure if you guys would get it.


	8. Chapter 8

With Sven found and everyone except Elsa and Honeymaren gathered, Anna set up the room for charades. As always, Sven was in charge of the timer and basket with words.

They couldn’t use the same words for every game so Anna had Olaf make up the words a week prior to game night. She had him do this every week before game night and he hadn’t figured out that the words he writes down and gives her end up as the words in the game. With his newfound poetic side, there was no telling what would be in this week’s word basket.

The only problem was there were five people this time, so they couldn’t do their usual team of boys versus girls because the guys would be outnumbered. Anna figured they would figure out how to play when Elsa and Honeymaren arrived.

……

After fixing their messed-up clothes and hair, Elsa and Honeymaren met up with the others. As they walked in, Elsa saw the room was already set up for a game of charades. Sven was in place in his usual place where he would give out the words and keep track of time. Olaf sat on the couch while Anna and Kristoff pulled another couch over.

“Oh, good you’re here just in time. We are almost ready to start,” Olaf said. The second couch was in place and Anna and Kristoff sat next to Olaf on the original couch.

Olaf was happy, which he usually was, but there was something else to it. His smile widened—if that was even possible—when Elsa and Honeymaren sat next to each other on the second couch. Elsa recognized his look—it was as if they shared a secret.

There was no way he knew anything, though. He was with Anna and Kristoff the whole time. 

Except for when they went to go change and Olaf and Sven went to do whatever they went to do. 

But they were probably here already when she went to Honeymaren’s room. Olaf didn’t even know what rooms she and Honeymaren were staying in so there would be no reason for him to be in that hallway. There would be no reason for him to walk past Honeymaren’s door and possibly hear them.

As her thoughts spiraled, Honeymaren reached out for and squeezed her hand. She remembered their talk. She needed to calm down and act natural or else she would seem suspicious.

She smiled gratefully at Honeymaren and slowly pulled her hand away.

“How do you guys want to play?” Anna asked. “We can play in teams but the teams can’t be boys against girls.” 

Olaf barely waited for her to finish before he said, “We can play with two teams of two and one of us can guess for both. Like Anna and Kristoff on a team against Elsa and Honeymaren and I’m on both teams so I can guess every round.”

“Is that okay with everyone?” Anna asked. Everyone agreed.

“Wait, have you ever played this game, Honeymaren?” Kristoff asked.

“Yes. Elsa taught us many Arendellian customs, including charades,” she replied.

“Okay, so who is up first?” Kristoff asked.

Anna stood up and practically skipped her way to get a word from Sven.

“I guess we are,” he said.

………

After a few rounds, Anna and Kristoff were winning by one point. Anna couldn’t tell if it was because the strange words that threw Honeymaren off or maybe Anna and Kristoff just knew each other better. 

Elsa was up to act next. She got her word and her eyes widened slightly before she regained a neutral expression.

Out of the corner of her eye, Anna saw Olaf sit up straighter. 

He had only gotten a few guesses right so far, but he was by no means competitive so it was strange for him to be more interested now. Maybe he remembers the words he wrote for the game, Anna thought.

She turned back to Elsa, who had begun acting.

“Two words,” Honeymaren said as Elsa gestured. “First word…one syllable.”

Elsa put a thumb up.

“Good?” Honeymaren guessed. 

Elsa shook her head and kept acting while Anna was focused on Olaf’s reaction. If he remembered what he wrote then Anna would have to find someone else to come up with the words for charades.

“True?” Olaf guessed and Elsa nodded.

“Next word…” Honeymaren said.

Elsa pointed to Kristoff and Anna.

“Married? Marriage?” Honeymaren guessed. “Male? Female? Partners? Husband? Wife?”

Elsa swept her arms through the air to show it was a concept encompassing that.

“Contract? Legal?” Honeymaren continued.

Elsa shook her head and put her hands up for Honeymaren to stop. Then, she pointed to Sven and Kristoff.

“Animal? Bond? Bond with animal? No, that’s more than one word,” Honeymaren guessed.

Anna thought it was strange that Olaf hadn’t made many guesses but he looked as if he knew what Elsa’s word was.

Elsa sighed and put out her hands for Honeymaren to stop again. Elsa took a moment to think and pointed to Honeymaren and then herself and back.

Anna saw Olaf smile widely, but he didn’t say a word.

“Friends?” Honeymaren guessed, then quietly asked, “Relationship?”

Anna thought it was a strange guess but technically her and Kristoff, Kristoff and Sven, and Elsa and Honeymaren all had types of relationships. 

“Love,” Olaf said confidently. “True love.”

Elsa smiled and nodded. “I thought pointing to Anna and Kristoff would make it obvious but when that wasn’t working, I thought of showing different kinds of love, like friendship,” she explained.

Olaf’s smile wavered but didn’t fall. Later, Anna was going to have a long talk with him about him remembering the words he gave to Anna for charades.

…………

Game night was not as stressful as Elsa had expected. There was one awkward time when she gestured to Honeymaren when she had to act ‘true love,’ but the rest of the game went well. Anna and Kristoff won by a small margin.

They had played charades until they ran out of words. By that time, it was well past bedtime. The Northuldra used the sun to signal when to wake up and go to sleep. Since Honeymaren and Elsa were on that schedule, they were much more tired than the rest of them.

Anna and Kristoff looked tired, too. Even so, they looked wide awake compared to how Honeymaren looked and Elsa felt.

After they finished up their last round of charades, Olaf suggested they play another game but that idea was quickly shot down.

“Honeymaren has been dozing off for the last half hour, so I think I should take her to bed,” Elsa said, then quickly added, “to her bed…that’s in her room.”

Kristoff looked at Elsa knowingly and Anna’s eyes widened slightly, but they didn’t say anything.

Honeymaren, who was resting her head on Elsa’s shoulder, yawned and nodded. Elsa gently pushed Honeymaren’s head off of her and stood up. Honeymaren leaned further into the back of the couch, her eyes still closed.

Elsa sighed and positioned her arms to pick her up.

“Do you need help with that?” Kristoff asked.

“No, I’ve got it.” Elsa grunted, heaving Honeymaren into her arms only to nearly topple backwards.

Kristoff caught her and took a sleeping Honeymaren into his arms. He laughed quietly.

“It’s no trouble, really. Anna, why don’t you go on to bed while I take her to her room,” Kristoff said.

Anna nodded and walked out, with Olaf and Sven going to their respective rooms as well.

“Lead the way,” Kristoff said and Elsa did.

The walk to the hallway with their rooms was spent in a comfortable silence. When they got to the door that Elsa pointed was Honeymaren’s, Kristoff spoke.

“I’m glad you found someone.”

Elsa was caught off guard by his words but even more surprising was the sincerity in his voice. She opened her mouth, unable to form words. She could clarify that they are just friends, but somehow she knew they were past that. He knew what they were, and he was happy for them.

“She’s good for you, I can tell. You seem happy,” Kristoff continued. “For the record, Anna wouldn’t care if she knew. Well, she would care but I think she would be hurt that you didn’t tell her sooner if you wait too long.”

“How did you know?” Elsa asked. With this revelation that Anna doesn’t mind that she is gay, that’s the only coherent thought in her head.

“I see the way you look at her. I imagine that’s how I look with Anna. That, and I’m not as oblivious as Anna. Anna told me all about her visit to the Northuldra. Also, what you guys said at dinner. I’m surprised she doesn’t know from that alone.” He smiled, but he sounded serious. Elsa could tell he wasn’t taking this too lightly, but he also didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable.

Elsa opened Honeymaren’s door for him to walk through. Kristoff set her gently on the bed.

“Does anyone else know?” Elsa asked.

“Olaf knows. Well, he suspects.”

“Why does he suspect?”

“He saw you two holding hands in the hallway. At least, that’s what he told me and Anna,” Kristoff explained.

Elsa nodded in understanding.

“You should really be more careful if you don’t want people to know,” Kristoff teased. 

“It’s hard, you know, trying to act like I’m not in love with her.” Elsa peered at Honeymaren’s peaceful face.

“Luckily I don’t know the feeling,” Kristoff said. “Your secret is safe with me. I hope you consider telling Anna, though. She loves you and she knows something has been off with you lately but she doesn’t know what.”

“I will.” 

Kristoff sighed and turned to leave.

“Kristoff,” Elsa said before he got out the door. “Thank you.”

He nodded and left. His footsteps echoed down the hall. When she couldn’t hear them anymore, she let out a breath.

This was all she wanted—for her family to know who she really was and be okay with it. Kristoff is fine with it and he claims Anna would be, too. Olaf thought she was gay and didn’t treat her any differently. She felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders.

Honeymaren turned in her sleep, startling Elsa from her thoughts. She hadn’t realized how long she stood there, just thinking.

Elsa yawned. She finally felt how tired she really was and went to her own room. She could sort through all of her feelings with a clearer mind tomorrow.  
………

Elsa woke up with the light shining through her window directly onto her pillow. She groaned and tried to turn away from the light but was obstructed by something in the bed behind her.

Her eyes shot open and she sat up, turning to see what it was.

Honeymaren stirred, woken by Elsa’s sudden movements.

“What’s wrong?” Honeymaren asked, her voice laced with tiredness. Elsa sighed as the spike of adrenaline faded, though she was wide awake now.

“You scared me,” Elsa said. “What are you doing in my bed?”

“I woke up in the middle of the night,” Honeymaren replied, her voice slowly losing the drowsiness it had just moments ago. “I couldn’t sleep so I came here. I thought it might help me sleep because I’m used to sleeping with you beside me. I was right because I slept better. Until you just woke me up, that is.”

“But someone could see you here, in my bed, and get the wrong idea,” Elsa said, temporarily forgetting the events of the night before. Before Honeymaren could point out that knocking before entering a room is an Arenedellian custom, Elsa stopped her and recounted everything Kristoff told her.

When she was done talking, Honeymaren smiled. “So, Kristoff knows and Anna will be fine when she knows. That was the only thing stopping you from telling Anna was that you didn’t know how she would respond.”

“I’ll tell her at breakfast.” Elsa smiled and kissed her. “I couldn’t have done it without you. If you didn’t fall asleep on the couch last night, Kristoff wouldn’t have had the chance to tell me and I wouldn’t be telling Anna today.”

“So, what I hear is that you owe me,” Honeymaren said, the familiar suggestive tone was back in her voice and Elsa knew where her mind was going. “I remember a certain promise you made.”

“What promise was that?” Elsa said, though she knew exactly what promise Honeymaren was talking about.

Honeymaren climbed on top of her, pushing Elsa’s hands above her head. She leaned down to kiss her neck, drawing a low moan out of Elsa. 

“You promised we could have sex on an Arendellian bed, remember?” Honeymaren whispered in her ear. “And guess where we are?”

Elsa gulped. “An Arendellian bed.”

Honeymaren nodded, her hands moving to pull up Elsa’s dress.

Elsa stopped Honeymaren’s hands and sat up to take the dress off herself as Honeymaren did the same with her own.

Honeymaren moved to get back into the same position, but Elsa pushed her down instead, situating herself on Honeymaren’s lap.

Honeymaren sat up to kiss her, her hands moving to Elsa’s hips. Elsa’s hand moved between Honeymaren’s thighs and she moaned, encouraging Elsa. 

When her moans became loud enough for Elsa to worry someone might hear, she put a hand over Honeymaren’s mouth.

“This isn’t how I want people to find out about us,” Elsa teased.

………

Anna had fallen asleep before Kristoff got back from carrying Honeymaren to her room.

She woke up earlier than she thought she would after a late night. Her mind was replaying all of Elsa’s strange behavior. She promised herself she wouldn’t ask Elsa about it, that she would wait and see if Elsa would come out or have another explanation. Her curiosity was getting the better of her, though.

Kristoff was all but positive he was right about Elsa and Honeymaren. Olaf thought they might be together romantically, too. Anna just couldn’t make sense of what her thoughts on the matter were.

Her curiosity aside, Anna couldn’t deny that Elsa had been acting strangely the whole trip. She looked uncomfortable and was easily flustered. Something was different with Elsa, even if it had nothing to do with Honeymaren.

It killed her to see her own sister uncomfortable in the place she once called home. Anna knew she should have done something to make her feel more comfortable. She felt bad about how she was suspicious of Elsa and Honeymaren, even if she didn’t act on her suspicion. Now was the time to do something about it, she thought.

Anna decided to bring Elsa breakfast as an apology and hopefully work out whatever problem she had. No matter what she promised herself, she couldn’t stand by while her sister may have a real problem.

She went down to the kitchen to request Elsa’s favorite breakfast. The halls were quiet and empty, save for a few staff and guards. The sun was barely up so everyone else was probably still asleep.

Elsa would be up any minute, though, because the Northuldra get up at dawn.

Once the kitchen made the food, Anna took the tray to Elsa’s room. Before knocking, Anna glanced at Honeymaren’s door and felt a bit guilty that she didn’t think to bring Honeymaren breakfast, too. She would most likely get up around the same time, too.

Anna knocked quietly on Elsa’s door. She could hear someone moving inside, which she assumed was Elsa, who must be up already. But if she was awake, why wasn’t she opening the door?

Anna waited a respectful amount of time before knocking again. She could still hear movement but once again, the door was not opened. 

Anna shifted to hold the tray with one hand and turned the doorknob, finding the door unlocked.

“Elsa—” Anna cut off when she saw Elsa and Honeymaren spring apart. Elsa yanked up the blanket to cover them, but not before Anna saw that they were both naked. Anna turned away quickly. “Oh my god. Oh my god. Sorry.”

Anna scrambled to set the tray on the closest surface—which was a table near the door—and left, closing the door behind her.

Her cheeks were warm and her thoughts became clear. Everything made sense. Kristoff and Olaf were right; Elsa and Honeymaren are definitely together.

She was halfway to the kitchen to get her own breakfast when she heard Elsa call her name.

Elsa was, thankfully, dressed and practically running to catch up with her.

Elsa caught up and they walked together, not meeting each other’s eyes.

“So,” Anna said, breaking the awkward silence, “you’re gay.”

It felt weird to say it out loud. 

Elsa nodded. “How did you know?” 

“Just a moment ago—” 

“No, I know how you know,” Elsa cut her off. “I was trying to lighten the mood.”

“So, is that why you’ve been acting weird?”

Elsa nodded, which surprised Anna. She thought she would have to explain it, but Elsa seemed to know what she meant. Anna was relieved it wasn’t a serious issue.

“Sorry you saw that,” Elsa said quietly.

Anna blushed. “No, it’s my fault. I should have knocked louder. I just didn’t know you had company.” 

“I didn’t know, either, until I woke up,” Elsa replied with a small laugh.

Anna decided she didn’t want to know what that meant. Anna prided herself on being culturally aware, but she didn’t know all of the gay slang and frankly she didn’t want to know any more about her sister’s sex life than she already knew. 

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Anna said. “And I’m glad you told me.”

………

When Elsa got back to her room, Honeymaren had nearly finished the food on the tray.

“That was probably for me, you know,” Elsa said, smiling.

“I know.”

Honeymaren looked up at her and smiled. Of course she would find this situation amusing.

“How did she take it?” Honeymaren asked.

“She is…supportive, but traumatized. That is not the way I wanted to tell her.”

“I know.” Honeymaren patted the bed beside her and Elsa sat down, lying back into the comfortable bed. She still had some time before breakfast for a light nap.

Beside her, Honeymaren put the tray on the nightstand. She wrapped her arms around Elsa’s middle, spooning her.

“She’s not coming back,” Honeymaren whispered. “And we have some time before breakfast.” She traced swirling patterns on Elsa’s stomach, slowly inching lower. 

………

Anna sat alone at the table for a few minutes, waiting for breakfast. She didn’t bother to wait for everyone else to wake up to start eating.

She tried to wrap her head around the events of the last few days. Everything made sense now. Anna had a lot of feelings swirling inside her, including embarrassment for walking in on them, but most of all she felt relief. Relief that Elsa wasn’t struggling with a serious issue that couldn’t be resolved with a simple conversation. 

With the revelation that Elsa is gay and is in a relationship with Honeymaren came a sudden clarity that Anna wished she didn’t have. Every memory since going to visit the Northuldra had a new context. Like how Elsa and Honeymaren were skinny dipping, or so she had thought at the time. 

Walking in on them once is embarrassing but walking in on them twice is mortifying. 

And now she had to have breakfast with them, knowing what she knows. 

Kristoff sat down next to her, breaking her from her thoughts.

“Good morning,” he said, too cheerfully for her mood.

Anna had to tell him that he was right about Elsa and Honeymaren, but she didn’t want to explain how she knew. It was embarrassing for everyone involved. After thinking of how to phrase it, she bit the bullet.

“You were right,” Anna began. “Elsa is dating Honeymaren.”

Kristoff’s smile widened and Anna’s frown deepened.

“I take it they told you?”

“Worse. I found out.”

His smile fell. “How is that worse? How did you find out?”

“I, uh, walked in on them this morning.” She could feel her face heat up and she wouldn’t meet his gaze.

“You’re right. That is worse.” He put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, but it just made her more embarrassed. “So how do you feel about everything?” 

“I’m happy she found someone. I think it’s okay that it happens to be a girl. I think it’s great, in fact. She doesn’t have to worry about accidentally getting pregnant, and she seems really happy with Honeymaren. I just wish I didn’t see what I saw this morning. Like I know that’s what people in a relationship do but that doesn’t mean it’s not traumatic to witness your sister doing, you know?”

“I can’t imagine how that feels,” Kristoff said. “But, in a few years, we’ll laugh about this.”

Anna glared at him. 

“Okay, in a little more than a few years,” he said, raising his hands in surrender. “You get what I’m trying to say.”

Anna heard footsteps down the hall and braced herself to see her sister, but it was Olaf that came skipping in.

“Good morning,” Olaf said, sitting in his usual place.

“Good morning,” Kristoff replied. He gave Anna a look that meant he wanted to continue the conversation later.

“When are Elsa and Honeymaren coming?” Olaf asked. “I thought they would be here already.”

“They are probably going to be late,” Anna said, thankful that he was paying attention to his food so he didn’t see her face turning red.

“Why?” Olaf asked innocently.

Anna knew they probably picked up where they left off when she interrupted them, but that wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have with Olaf.

“Olaf, I think you should just ask them when they get here,” Kristoff said and Anna silently thanked him.

As if on cue, they arrived a few seconds later. Anna noticed they stood a good distance away from each other. They even scooted their chairs a few more inches apart. Anna wasn’t sure if it was worse to see them awkwardly leaning away from each other—which they most likely did for her sake—or if they came in acting as if nothing happened. 

For a time, everyone ate in silence. Anna didn’t look at either of them for more than a second and she couldn’t meet either of their eyes. Anna did, however, notice that Honeymaren was blushing, which made her feel a bit better. At least she wasn’t the only embarrassed one at the table. In fact, everyone at the table had a slight red tinge to their cheeks, even Kristoff.

Olaf seemed to not notice, too preoccupied with eating.

“So, why were you guys late?” Olaf broke the silence.

Elsa and Honeymaren both froze. Honeymaren recovered first.

“We share a bathroom. You know us girls take longer to get ready,” Honeymaren replied, her voice surprisingly steady.

“Oh,” Olaf said. “The way Kristoff said it made it seem like something happened.”

Anna looked to Elsa, who looked pointedly at her. Anna knew she thought Anna told them what happened. To be fair, she did tell Kristoff. Anna shook her head, trying to communicate that it wasn’t what it sounded like.

It was an embarrassing situation for everyone, but was it bad to tell Kristoff? Isn’t that the kind of thing you tell your husband?

Anna gestured to Olaf, trying to tell Elsa that now is her chance to tell him.

Olaf was oblivious to the silent exchange.

Elsa took a deep breath. “Actually, there is something I want to tell you, Olaf.” 

Olaf snapped his head up, listening attentively with the beginning of a grin on his face.

Elsa took a few seconds before she said “well, I’m not sure how to say this but Honeymaren and I are more than friends.”

Olaf turned to Anna with a brilliant smile. “You see? I told you they’re in love.”

Elsa sighed in relief. Anna saw Honeymaren’s hand move to hold Elsa’s under the table. 

Anna knew it must have been hard to tell them about her and Honeymaren. They were all her family, even if Anna was her only blood relative.

The rest of breakfast was spent with Olaf asking questions to Elsa and Honeymaren. Olaf, of course, was happy for them.

Hearing them talk about how they fell in love almost made Anna forget about the traumatic experience she had barely an hour ago. They were a normal couple that did normal couple things, like take romantic walks and have romantic dinners.

Being closeted robbed them of being able to do those things openly, though. For this whole trip, they had to lie and be careful about how they acted. That wasn’t fair, Anna thought.

Before they left to go back to the Northuldra, Anna invited them to come to another game night in a few weeks. This time they wouldn’t have to hide who they were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who read, gave kudos, and commented! I had a lot of fun writing this and to know that people enjoyed reading it really motivated me.


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